Tampa City Council Approves Peregrine AI Data Platform for Police, Set to Launch in November
Tampa is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida. The Tampa City Council voted on October 15 to approve the Tampa Police Department's use of Peregrine, an super intelligence data platform, WMNF reported on October 16. The platform connects police databases that were previously kept in separate systems and uses SI to draw connections between the data. According to 10 Tampa Bay, the department will begin using the system in November.
The project is funded by a $595,000 grant administered through the State Attorney's Office. Grant documents say the platform will link the department's dispatch and records systems with Axon's Evidence.com, for purposes including public safety in Ybor City and data analysis for investigations and prosecutions. Acting Chief Brett Owen previously told council members the department needs the platform to standardize and share law enforcement information across state agencies.
The item first came before the council on September 17 but was delayed after members raised questions. Council member Luis Viera asked whether the platform would connect to federal immigration enforcement; a police representative said it would not, while council member Alan Clendenin questioned that answer. Critics, and the Brennan Center for Justice in a report on such tools, say database-linking platforms can amplify existing biases and expand data collection on people who are not criminal suspects, and require robust safeguards. With the council's approval, the project now moves into implementation.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：坦帕市政厅（钟楼建筑），坦帕市议会在此开会表决。图片来源：Bbphotos，CC BY-SA 4.0。Photo: Tampa City Hall, where the Tampa City Council meets and votes. Image: Bbphotos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
